Rugged Rosaries' Pardon Crucifixesand Triple Threat™ Crucifixes

The Pardon Crucifix is a true weapon against Satan, an important sacramental in the Catholic arsenal as it is a powerhouse of Indulgences and symbolism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven".

Description of the Pardon Crucifix

On the Front of the Pardon Crucifix, above the corpus, are the words “Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum. ” The English translation is “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

On the back of the cross is the Sacred Heart and two inscriptions. The first on the horizontal portion is the prayer of pardon which gives this crucifix its name, "Father, forgive them". On the vertical portion of the back are the words spoken by Jesus to St. Margaret Mary in 1675, "Behold this Heart which has so loved men". At the foot of the cross, also on the back, is the symbol of Mary.

Indulgences of the Pardon Crucifix

These indulgences have been declared upon the Pardon Crucifix by Pope St. Pius X in 1905, and have been approved in the pardon of the living and the souls in Purgatory in 1907. (Never forget to pray for souls in Purgatory!)

Whoever carries on his person the Pardon Crucifix, may thereby gain an indulgence.

For devoutly kissing the Crucifix, an indulgence is gained.

Whoever says one of the following invocations before this crucifix may gain each time an indulgence: “Our Father who art in heaven, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” “I beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray to the Lord our God for me.”

Whoever, habitually devout to this Crucifix, will fulfill the necessary conditions of Confession and Holy Communion, may gain a Plenary Indulgence on the following feasts: On the feasts of the Five Wounds of our Lord, the Invention of the Holy Cross, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Immaculate Conception, and the Seven Sorrows (Dolors) of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Whoever, at the moment of death, fortified with the Sacraments of the Church, or contrite of heart, in the supposition of being unable to receive them, will kiss this Crucifix and ask pardon of God for his sins, and pardon his neighbor, will gain a Plenary Indulgence.

In addition, His Holiness Pope Pius X, has declared that the Indulgence attached to the Pardon Crucifix are applicable to the souls in Purgatory. The Pardon Crucifix is a very powerful "weapon" which the devil must truly hate.

Triple Threat™ Pardon Crucifix

In addition to the standard Pardon Crucifixes, we carry one which we have named the Triple Threat Pardon Crucifix because in addition to the Pardon Crucifix, it also has attached to it the Miraculous Medal and the St. Benedict Medal. Together with the Pardon Crucifix, this is a Triple Threat™ Crucifix against the devil. You cannot go wrong by selecting a Triple Threat Crucifix Pendant or Rosary.

We carry several different versions and color finishes of these great Crucifixes. In addition, we can place a Pardon Crucifix on any rosary you purchase from us. Just tell us what you want when you place your order by using the "Order Note" box on the shopping cart checkout page.

St. Therese of Lisieux, also known to many as the "Little Flower," was known for her "little" sacrifices. Many Catholics can relate to Therese's "little way" of trusting in Jesus and her way of relying on small daily sacrifices instead of great deeds in her quest for sanctity. Not everyone can do big or great deeds, but we can each do something small and with great love. This was her mission.

She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God just by being her own little self among all the other flowers in God's garden.

"Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."

She passed away at the young age of 24 in 1897, and was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925.

We have been fortunate enough to obtain a first class relic/reliquary of St. Therese of Lisieux from the estate of a lady who's uncle was a Vatican priest for over twenty years. He obtained it from a Carmelite nun named Sr. Madeline Marie or Marie Madeline, when visiting St. Therese's convent sometime in the late 50s or early 60s. The nun made the reliquary to hold the first class relic she was given when St. Therese was canonized in 1925. She was a young nun at the time and had helped to care for Therese.

The little reliquary which holds it is a sweet and beautiful bit of handmade craftsmanship and is very intricate. It is completely sealed in glass and has an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the center which looks like it came from a vintage greeting card or holy card or similar item.

On the underside, also covered in glass, is a beehive. After a little research, we discovered that Saint Therese often wrote about honey bees in her writings.

In notes the uncle made about the relic in his diary, he wrote the Latin word 'os' for its origin which translates to 'bone'.

The relic is not Vatican certified, as it was made by the nun for herself to keep. Apparently, this is not uncommon, as nuns and priests often make their own reliquaries when they are given relics. We do believe it to be an authentic relic and will be happy to touch your rosary crucifix to this relic if you request it, thus making your crucifix a third class relic. Let us know in your order notes.

Well duh. Seven fantastic and talented artisan rosary makers make these right here in Northern California in our rosary studio, "The Rosarium". Rugged Rosaries are made out of genuine military grade ungutted paracord which makes them extremely strong. Just take a look at the reviews that are published unfiltered daily to our website here: REVIEWS. You can see all the styles HERE.

I have to say, this is one of the best things I ever bought for myself. I had e-reader devices for years but this one is PERFECTION. You can read "unPHILtered" on your cell phone, but if you're like me, that is tiring to your eyes. This e-reader has the best screen, back light, perfect size, just perfect. Put your Bible on it too. And... great price. CLICK HERE.

So after drinking the beer and cider from Ampleforth Abbey, your man might need some strong coffee. The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming would love to serve you. Coffee. K-Cups. Tea. Mugs. Lots of goods for the coffee lover. Shop HERE.

A new product which we make in our studio are these awesome, strong, reliable, manly, and compact rosaries which are replicas of the antique service rosaries which were issued to our soldiers, seamen, and flying aces during WWI (c.1916). They are made from the same type of chain that dog tags use so you know they are strong, don't tangle easily, and can be carried in your pocket or worn under your t-shirt. Check out the history behind these rosaries HERE. You can purchase one HERE (and they are at a great price at $29.99!).

Optional medallions can be added to almost any product on our website. There are hundreds of Saints and we wish we could carry them all, but we do try our best to offer the most frequently requested medallions.

Medals can be added in two ways. Our standard positioning for medals is immediately above the centerpiece knot on our paracord rosaries or immediately above the centerpiece medal on the WWI Battle Beads rosaries.

On custom rosaries, we can disperse the medals around the rosary like the examples below. For customizing a rosary like this please contact customer service.

If the one you want is not listed here, please email customerservice@cordbands.com and we will work with you to see if we can get the medal you want and need.

The 2017 available medallions are as follows (Styles subject to change due to availability):

New Triple Threat Crucifixand Rosary

Just in for spring 2016 we have some stunning new crucifixes from Italy. We call it the Triple Threat Crucifix because it combines 3 of the most powerful sacramentals of the Church into one piece! Attached to this Indulgence Pardon Crucifix is also a Miraculous Medal and a St Benedict medal! It is die-cast in Italy with a beautiful silver oxidized finish which gives a richly detailed, 3-dimensional finishing touch as only the Italians have perfected. This large crucifix is 2-1/8 inches tall and wonderfully detailed.

The Pardon Crucifix

The word indulgence originally meant kindness or favor. In this instance, an indulgence is given to remit the temporal punishment of sin that has been forgiven. These indulgences have been declared upon the Pardon Crucifix by Pope St. Pius X in 1905, and have been approved in the pardon of the living and the souls in Purgatory in 1907.

1. Whoever carries on his person the Pardon Crucifix, may thereby gain an indulgence.

2. For devoutly kissing the Crucifix, an indulgence is gained.

3. Whoever says one of the following invocations before this crucifix may gain each time an indulgence: "Our Father who art in heaven, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." "I beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray to the Lord our God for me."

4. Whoever, habitually devout to this Crucifix, will fulfill the necessary conditions of Confession and Holy Communion, may gain a Plenary Indulgence on the following feasts: On the feasts of the Five Wounds of our Lord, the Invention of the Holy Cross, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Immaculate Conception, and the Seven Sorrows (Dolors) of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

5. Whoever, at the moment of death, fortified with the Sacraments of the Church, or contrite of heart, in the supposition of being unable to receive them, will kiss this Crucifix and ask pardon of God for his sins, and pardon his neighbor, will gain a Plenary Indulgence.

The Front of the Crucifix: Above the cruciform figure, the familiar I.N.R.I. has been inscribed with the words "Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum. " Latin uses I instead of the English J, and V instead of U (Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm). The English translation is "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The Reverse of the Crucifix: On the transverse arms are the words, "Father, forgive them." On the vertical beam of the Cross are the words, "Behold this heart which has so loved men." An image of The Sacred Heart of Jesus is shown in the center.

The crucifix also features a St. Benedict and a Miraculous Medal, front and back.

St. Benedict Medal

The St. Benedict medal is one of the oldest and most honored medals used by Christians and due to the belief in its power against evil is also known as the "devil-chasing medal". On the back of the St. Benedict medal is a cross, containing the letters C S S M L - N D S M D, initials of the words Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non draco sit mihi dux! ("May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my overlord!").The large C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti ("The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict"). Surrounding the back of the medal are the letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B, in reference to Vade retro satana: Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! ("Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!") and finally, located at the top is the word PAX which means "peace".

The Miraculous Medal

During her evening meditation on Nov. 27, 1830, Sister Catherine Laboure has a vision of Mary standing in a position similar to the depiction on the medal. Later, the vision changes to include the inscription found on the front side of the medal.

Mary speaks to Catherine, saying, "Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their neck."

Iconic AttractionIt was as Mary said. The medal's effects were immediate.

The first medals were made in 1832 and distributed throughout Paris. According to the Association of the Miraculous Medal, the blessings that Mary promised "began to shower down" on wearers of the medal. The devotion spread rapidly. In 1836, a Church investigation declared the apparitions to be genuine.

Since Mary asked Catherine to have the medal struck, devotion to the Miraculous Medal has spread the world over, the image having achieved iconic stature.

But what does the medal mean? In answering that, one discovers why it works.

The Front Side• Mary stands on a globe, crushing a serpent beneath her feet. Describing the original vision, Catherine said the Blessed Mother appeared radiant as a sunrise, "in all her perfect beauty."• Rays shoot out from Mary's hands, which she told Catherine, "... symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them."• Words from the vision form an oval frame around Mary: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."Seen as a matrix, the elements of the front design encapsulate major Marian tenets:

Quality of Our Lady As Illustrated by the Medal• Mother Her open arms, the "recourse" we have in her• Immaculate The words, "conceived without sin"• Assumed into Heaven She stands on the globe• Mediatrix Rays from her hands symbolizing "graces"• Our Protection Crushes the serpent (Gn. 3:15)

The Reverse Side• A cross-and-bar surmounts a large, bold "M" • 12 stars disperse around the perimeter • Two hearts are depicted underneath the "M," the left lapped with a crown of thorns, the right skewed by a sword. From each, a flame emanates from the top. Again, employing a grid analysis, we can see how the reverse-side design contains great symbolism reflecting major tenets of the Catholic faith.

Design Element and its Catholic Meaning• The large letter "M" — Mary as Mother, Mediatrix.• Cross and bar — Jesus' cross of Redemption.• 12 stars — 12 Apostles, who formed the first Church.• Left Heart — The Sacred Heart, who died for our sins.• Right Heart — The Immaculate Heart, who intercedes for us.• Flames — The burning love Jesus and Mary have for us.

The Association of the Miraculous Medal, in Perryville, Mo., notes that there is no superstition or magic connected with the Miraculous Medal, nor is it "a good luck charm." Rather, it is "a testimony to faith and the power of trusting prayer. Its greatest miracles are those of patience, forgiveness, repentance, and faith."

Triple Threat Rosary™

CLICK HERE to see our Triple Threat Paracord Rosary™. Its a Triple Threat against evil.

Customize your Rosary.

We can use this crucifix on any of our rosary styles for no extra charge. All you have to do is place the rosary you want in your shopping cart. Then when you get to the shopping cart page, you will see a box marked "Order Note". Just tell us you want the Triple Threat Crucifix and we will switch it out on your rosary at no charge.

We will continue to do our best to bring you new and exciting products.

The Memento Mori Skull Rosary

We sometimes get questions on the meaning of rosaries with skulls. Is it sacrilegious or is it anti-Catholic? Surprisingly, it’s quite opposite to that. The skull bead on a rosary is meant to provide a focus for contemplating one’s mortality. Certainly, a skull rosary is not for everyone as some people may find it morbid.

The use of symbolic skulls in rosaries and chaplets dates all the way back to the late middle ages (1050 - 1500). They were particularly popular in Italy, Germany, and Mexico with priests, nuns, and brothers. But, skulls on rosaries have been used for hundreds of years, and historical art and doctrine supports the use of skulls on the rosary.

The Skull used in Religious Art

There are many depictions in paintings of Saints with skulls. Some crucifixes depict a skull at the bottom, to signify Christ’s victory over death. Some rosaries feature a skull bead to serve as a “Memento Mori,” or a reminder that one’s life is not infinite.

There are also depictions of the crucifixion that show a skull at the base of the cross. The Hebrew name of the location Christ was crucified was “Golgotha” and it’s meaning is “Place of the Skull”. It is believed that Adam was buried in that same location, so some use the symbolic skull to signify the first man created by God and Christ's gift to mortal man.

References to the "Memento Mori" in Catholic writings

The Latin phrase "Memento Mori", meaning “Remember you must die”, was influential in art and religious life dating back to Medieval Europe. It is a reminder both of our mortality and of the judgment that will follow our death.

From the Canticle of the Sun written by St. Francis of Assisi:

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,

from whose embrace no living person can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.

Happy those she finds doing your most holy will.

The second death can do no harm to them.

And St. Benedict of Nursia calls us to:

Fear the Day of Judgment: be in dread of hell. Ardently desire everlasting life with deep spiritual longing. Keep death daily before your eyes. (Rule of Benedict 4:44-47).

On Ash Wednesday, the words when you receive the blessed ashes on your forehead refer to our mortality. This is actually taken from Genesis 3:19:

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

And finally, in our “Hail Mary” prayer, there is a reference to our mortality:

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit

of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,

Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of death.

Amen.

So in our prayers, a skull bead is simply a reminder that we are mortal on this Earth. They are not to be used as "goth jewelry" or for those who have a devotion to Santa Muerte but instead as a reverent reminder of our time on earth and our day of judgement when that time is over.

Our Memento Mori Skull Rosaries are super strong because they are each hand made using genuine military style paracord, black beads, metal skulls for the Our Father beads in bronze, silver, or copper colors, and an Italian Pardon Indulgence crucifix. You can see our Memento Mori Skull Rosaries here. We hand craft these in several colors, but you can also request any color that we carry, or substitute any of our crucifixes.

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I could see that all the visitor traffic was from Facebook but I sure couldn't figure out who had mentioned Rugged Rosaries. Then finally someone tipped me off that it was on the National Catholic Register's Facebook page.

National Catholic Register declares Rugged Rosaries "The Strongest Rosaries on the Planet"!

Hold your crucifix and make the Sign of the Cross, and then recite the Apostles Creed.

Recite the Our Father on the first large knot (or Bead).

Recite a Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity on each of the next three beads.

Recite the Glory Be to the Father on the next large knot (or Bead) and the Fatima Prayer

Recall the first Rosary Mystery and recite the Our Father

On each of the next ten beads (also referred to as a decade) recite a Hail Mary while reflecting on the mystery.

On the knot, recite the Glory Be to the Father, and the Fatima prayer.

Continue praying each decade by recalling the appropriate mystery, reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, the Glory Be to the Father, and the Fatima prayer while reflecting on the mystery.When the fifth mystery is completed, the Rosary is customarily concluded with the Hail Holy Queen, and the Sign of the Cross.

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Our Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be To The Father

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy. Amen.

The Hail Holy Queen

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!V – Pray for us, O Holy Mother of GodR – That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

O God whose only-begotten Son, by his Life, Death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant we beseech you, that we who meditate on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the blessed Virgin Mary, may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

"A small puppy wondered up to U.S. Marines from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 6th Marines, in Marjah, Afghanistan on *****. After following the Marines numerous miles, a soft hearted Marine picked the puppy up and carried the puppy in his drop pouch. "

(Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl Charles T. Mabry II)

I couldn't help but notice that the puppy has a makeshift paracord leash around his neck!